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Cozy Pumpkin Spice French Toast Bake: Easy Fall Breakfast

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This cozy pumpkin spice French toast bake is the perfect easy fall breakfast. With 10 minutes of hands-on time, the oven does the work, delivering crispy, caramelized edges and a soft, custardy center with warm pumpkin spice flavor.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 4 large eggs (room temperature preferred)
  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk (or oat milk for dairy-free)
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or full-fat coconut milk)
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) pure maple syrup (plus more for serving)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon recommended)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 loaf (12-14 ounces) brioche or challah bread (stale preferred)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (for topping)
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, for topping)
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
  • Extra maple syrup for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.
  2. Cube the bread into 1-inch pieces (about 8-9 cups). If bread is fresh, toast cubes at 350°F for 5-7 minutes until slightly dry.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, heavy cream, maple syrup, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until completely smooth.
  4. Spread half the bread cubes in the prepared dish. Pour half the custard over the top. Add remaining bread cubes and pour remaining custard over everything. Gently press down with a spatula. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  5. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter over the top. Sprinkle brown sugar and chopped pecans (if using) evenly across the surface.
  6. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until top is golden brown and puffed, and center is set (knife inserted in middle comes out clean).
  7. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with extra maple syrup. Serve warm.

Notes

Use stale bread for best texture. Let the assembled dish rest for 10 minutes before baking to allow bread to absorb custard. Cover with foil for first half of baking to prevent burning. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving for cleaner slices. For a dairy-free version, use oat milk and coconut milk. For gluten-free, use gluten-free brioche and reduce resting time to 5 minutes. Can be assembled the night before and refrigerated; add 5-10 minutes to baking time if starting cold.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin spice, French toast bake, fall breakfast, easy breakfast, pumpkin, brioche, brunch

Find it online: https://zorbmeal.com/cozy-pumpkin-spice-french-toast-bake-easy-fall-breakfast/